The IRS may send a letter or notice to you to request payment for
taxes, notify you of a change to your account, or request additional
information. Please review the information on your entire tax return
and compare it with the information on the notice. If the notice
tells you that a correction was made to your account and you agree
with the correction, a reply is not needed unless a payment is due.
If you do not agree with the correction we made, it is important that
you respond to the letter or notice as requested. Please write to us
and tell us why you disagree so any necessary action can be taken.
Include any documents and information you wish us to consider and
send the bottom portion of the notice to the IRS address shown in the
upper left-hand corner of the notice.
If you are due a refund as a result of our adjustment, it will be
sent to you unless you owe other amounts the law requires us to
collect (for example, related tax accounts, child support, student
loans, etc.). Notices and refund checks are sent from different IRS
locations. Any refund issued as a result of our change or correction,
should be received within 6 weeks from the date of the notice.
Sometimes we will send a second letter or notice requesting
additional information or providing additional information to you. Be
sure to keep copies of all correspondence for your records.
If you have not been given credit for a payment you have made, you
need to send us proof of the payment.
If payment was made by check, send a copy of the front and back of
the check. DO NOT SEND YOUR ACTUAL CHECK, ONLY A COPY OF IT. If
payment was made by money order, you must get a copy of the front and
back of the "canceled" money order from the place where the money
order was purchased.
If you contacted us about a lost or stolen refund check, the notice
we sent you will tell you what action to take. If you receive a
Notice CP 2000, refer to Topic 652.
If you estimate your taxes, please review your tax computation. You
may need to make changes to your tax payments based on the changes we
made to your tax account.
All notices should tell you where to send your reply, which, in most
cases, will be to the IRS service center where you filed your return.
Most correspondence can be handled without your having to call or
visit an IRS office, if you follow the instructions in the letter or
notice. However, if you have questions, call the telephone number in
the upper right hand corner of the notice. An employee at that number
is most familiar with your account. We can best help you if you have
a copy of your tax return and the notice with you when you call.
Tax Topics & FAQs | Tax Help Archives | Home